Fruit-drier



J. M. TEASDALE. Fruit Drier.

. Patented Oct. 26,1880.

(No Model.)

PATENT EETCE,

JAMES M. TEASDALE, OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN.

FRulpT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,643, dated October 26, 1880,

Application filed August 13, 1880.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that i, JAMES M. TEASDALE, of Howell, in t-he county of Livingston and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers. of which the following is a specification.

This invention is intended for family use, to be set on a stove to dry fruits, vegetables, Src., by evaporation and this invention consists in its general construction, but more particularly in the arrangement of the steam-fines, a dividing-partition in its under chamber, the perforations in the back of the case, and corresponding perforations in the front of the fruitdrawer, (to get a draft through,)'by which the evaporations of the fruits are carried off, all as hereinafter fully explained.

1n the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through the entire device, the drawers removed, and showing the ilues and perforated back 5 Fig. 2, a perspective of a drawer enlarged in size, also showing the perforations in the front.

A represents the outer case of metal, having two, three, or more horizontal openings, B B2 B3, therein, in which slide drawers C, for holding the fruit, &c. Usually two'of these drawers are set in each opening B, one on top of the other, the upper one setting on the side slides, c c. In the back of the drier is a series of perforations or air-holes, c a af, and in the front of the drawers C are corresponding holes orperforations c c c c. These are to produce a draft through each compartment and through the fruit, and thus carry off at the sides, without any other means or mechanical appliances,the evaporation from the fruit. These drawers or trays lill up the spaces B B. They are made witha wire ora perforated bottom, which allows a proper circulation of hot air vertically, and the holes c c and c c carrying off horizontally the vapor arising from the fruit in process of drying.

The bottom ofthe case is a closed space, d, and receives the water throughy the tunnel or side opening, c. This actsasaboiler. About the center of this is set a vertical partitionplate, f, andwith a space, g, at the bottom under it for the water to get into the side d'. This space d d' heats the bottom of the opening B', and is closed except by a vertical flue,

(No model.)

h, clear across one end of the drier, and which leads into a horizontal fine, i', above the opening B and under opening B2, and leads into a vertical liuc, h', at the opposite end from iiue h. This leads into horizontal flue i2, between chamber B2 and B2, and opens into vertical side fiue, h2, and finally into top horizontal line, i2.

Theplate j', before spoken of, divides the bottoni into two parts, the object being to get an equal division of the steam and heat through the parts of the device and opposite to the end flues, h and h2. For this purpose I make an opening in the upper corner ot' the bottom d', and attach a pipeJc, leading therefrom outside the case A to the second steam-space above i2.

The operation of this is as follows: The steam generated in the bottom d follows the course of the arrows up through liue h into first steam-space 11', then up flue h into space i2. By the time it gets to line h' and space i2 it has lost a large proportion of its heat. Therefore the drying of the fruit on this end of the device would not be so quickly or thoroughly accomplished as at the other end. To obviate this I. place the division-platef in the bottom, and the steam generated in space d. goes up through the pipe 7c into the space 2. This is fresh steam, and reheats what is there and also equalizes the heat throughout the whole device.

1 am acquainted with a patent which has a series of slanting zigzag flues having a generating-chamber at the bottom, but no auxiliary steam-pipe to heat the back or ends, like mine, neither have I any pipes or other mechanical devices for carrying olf the vapor, but only by my perforations, whichinduce a current of air through.

By my division-plate fand pipe 7c the steam does not have so great a distance to travel, and therefore exhaust itself before its discharge at the top at pipe on.

Steam may be supplied in any suitablemanner 5 but it is intended to set the device on a stove, and by boiling water to produce the steam. All the spaces i', 2, and 3 and lines h, h', and h2 are closed from the outside and run the entire Width of the device. The bottom d d heats the first space, B', and the IOO space fi heats the top of the space B and bottom ot' B2, and so ou to the top, as manyues and chambers being` added as may be required.

I claim- The device for drying fruits, Src., consisting of the vessel A, provided with a closed back having; a series of perforations, a a a, therein7 the frouthaving open compartments B B2 B3 for the drawers or trays C, Whose exposed fronts are provided with perforatious a' a' a', (for escape of vapor.) the Water-bottom d d,di vided by partitionf, with spaceg under it, t-he steam-spaces i i2 3, lues 7i h h2, and outside steam-conducting pipe, lf, all constructed and operating substantially as shown aud de- I5 scribed. f

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses'.

JAMES M. TEASDALE. Witnesses J. R. BRAKE, H. E. BALLOU. 

